Picker stick guide and check strap stand for looms



Nov. 4, 1941. G. c. BELL 5 PICKER STICK GUIDE AND CHECK STRAP STAND FOR LOOMS Filed Aug. 26, 1940 I t )1? Z y L l I, r 1

5-10 "I 1. ,20 I l 7 '9 9 'l 1 1| l 1/2 3% 12 2 1,- 23 I l6 l3 V h 16 M 6/6073? ZarencefieZZ INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNITED .STTES PATENT OFFICE BECKER STICK GUIDE AND CHECK STRAP STAND FOR 'LOOMS George Clarence Bell, Greenwood, S. 0.

Application August 26, 1940, Serial No. 354,275

5 Claims.

This invention relates to looms and more particularly to a picker stick guide and check strap stand forthe same, the prime object of the invention being to minimize the length of the check strap whereby to reduce the cost thereof and secure economy in the maintenance of the loom, and also to eiiectively guide the picker stick in'its oscillation so as to keepthe picker out of sliding contact with the binder and thereby avoid wear which usually occurs on the binder due to the heretofore employed structural and operating arrangements.

A further object is to provide an adjustable guide element along which the picker stick slides,

by the adjustment of which element-the nose of the shuttle is directed towards the reed on its course across the raceboard whereby toeliminate or at least minimize to a great extent the kinky filling in of the cloth and to also prevent overshots which are the principal cause of imperfect weaving and production of seconds as they are termed in the art.

A still further object is to provide a guide for the picker stick which permits and facilitates the running of a straight shuttle box which keeps the shuttle smooth and gives longer life thereto.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages to be attained, the invention consist-s in the novel general structure and particular parts and combinations and arrangements of parts thereof as hereinafter described and set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the lay, picker stick and the guiding and check strap elements as mounted on the lay in correlation to the picker stick;

Figure 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical cross section taken on or about the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken on or about the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral I designates, generally, the lay of a loom which is conventionally illustrated, the lay being provided with the usual longitudinal slot 2 in the region of the end thereof, in which slot the regular picker stick 3 oscillates, the picker 4 which impels the shuttle in the usual manner being conventionally shown as mounted on the upper end of the picker stick 3. Also, conventionally shown, is the front member 5 of the shuttle box and the binder 6. The picker stick 3 is of a thickness considerably less than the transverse dimension of the slot 2 in the lay I and is guided in said slot and free from contact with the longitudinal side walls thereof by the device of the present invention, as will now be described.

Mounted on the rear lower corner portion of the lay I is an elongated bracket 1, said'bracket having a rabbeted seat portion 8 extending the length thereof (see Figures 1 and 2) in which the adjacent cornerportion of the lay is received, said seat portion 8 being provided with longitudinal slots 9 adjacent its opposite ends for the reception of securing bolts I6 which are passed downwardly through vertical bores in the lay I and provided on their screw-threaded lower end portions with nuts II which are tightened against the adjacent bottom face portions of the bracket. However, while the bracket is, preferably, thus'provided and mounted for longitudinal adjustment on the lay I, it is here pointed out that, in some installations, the same may be otherwise provided and mounted with or without adjustment on the lay, as may be desirable or necessary. Extending downwardly from the outer longitudinal edge portion of the bracket I is a pair of integral leg members I2 having enlarged androunded end portions I3 which are provided with transverse slots I3, said leg members aifording a support for an adjustable, com

bined picker stick guide and check strap stand to be now described.

As shown, the combined picker stick guide and check strap stand, designated generally by'the numeral It, is of substantial T-shape, that is to say, it comprises a rectangular intermediate body portion I5 with longitudinal arms I6 extending from its opposite ends, at the top thereof, as shown more clearly in Figure l. The intermediatebody 'portion I5 of said element I4 is provided with a pair oflongitudinally aligned apertures, which, as indicated more clearly in Figure 3, are countersunk for the reception of correspondingly headed screw studs H which are fastened in place by jam nuts which are tightened against the adjacent rear face portions of the element I I, said screw studs being of considerable length and projected through the slots I3 of the lower end enlargements I3 of said downwardly extending leg members I2.of the bracket 1. As shown, the screw studs I! are provided with opposed jam nuts I9 and 20 which are respectively tightened against the adjacent rear and front face portions of said leg enlargements I3 whereby the picker stickguide and check strap stand is firmly supported, it being here pointed out that, by the provision of the slots l3 in the leg members I2 of the bracket 1 and the nuts I9 and 20 on the screw studs H, the element [4 is not only longitudinally adjustable on the leg members [2 of the bracket 1, but the element [4 is also adjustable toward and away from the pair of leg members H of the bracket 1, either in exact parallel relation to the latter, or said element I4 may be also set in an inclined relation to said leg members I2, all of which adjustments may be readily made at the will of the operator to effect the desired oscillatory travel of the picker stick 3 and. the picker 4 carried thereon so as to regulate the set of the shuttle with its nose portion directed properly in relation to the reed. In this connection, it is here pointed out that other than the particular provision of the combined picker stick guide and check strap stand of the present invention, the picker stick in its form and mounting and the form and arrangement of the picker proper thereon is the same as that in the ordinary or conventional loom structure, as also is the construction and arrangement of the shuttle box, binder and the shuttles used in connection therewith.

The check strap 2| itself is, in general, similar to the ordinary check strap except as to the overall length thereof which is considerably less than that of the ordinary strap, the looped opposite end portions 22 of the strap being carried under the end arms l6 of the element I4 and lapped over the adjacent rear face portions of the element, where they are secured in place by preferred means to be now described. As shown, the attachment of the strap end portions 22 to the adjacent end portions of the intermediate body portion of the element I4 is effected by aperturing the strap end'portions 22 and providing the adjacent body portions of the element l4 with apertures which are preferably countersunk at the front face of said element M for the reception of correspondingly headed bolts 23 which are inserted through said apertures of the element i4 when aligned with the apertures of the strap end portions 22, and apertured elongated clamping plates 24 being slipped onto the bolts 23 and the bolts being provided with jam nuts 25 which are tightened against said plates 24 whereby to clamp the end portions 22 of the strap 2| between said. plates and the adjacent rear face portions of the element l4. By this provision a strap element 2| of minimum length is securely fastened transversely of its opposite end portions to the combined picker stick guide and check strap stand l4, thereby not only effecting an economical saving in the cost, thereof, but the strap is readily attached to and detached from the stand, at will.

The combined picker stick guide and check strap stand of the present invention is readily applied to the ordinary or conventional loom structure without any material alteration or any change from the regular form and arrangement of the shuttle box and binder on the lay or any departure from the regular form and mounting of the picker stick and picker thereon, and a practical and efficient guide is provided for the picker stick in its oscillation, with adjustment of the guide whereby the set of the shuttle is accomplished with such nicety with relation to the reed on its course across the raceboard so as to practically eliminate kinky filling in of the cloth and production of seconds. In addition to this there is a further advantage in that the guide holds the picker stick away from the binder thereby eliminating friction and avoiding undue wear on the binder belly and also on the picker stick itself. There is a still further advantage in that a smooth shuttle is insured at all times, especially because the use of the guide of the present invention permits the running of a straight shuttle box and thereby makes the shuttle last longer. Furthermore, by the provision of the guide device of the present invention, to which the ends of the check strap are attached, the minimization of the length of the strap effects a saving to the users of looms of approximately thirty per cent on their leather and picker bills, not counting the seconds in the woven fabric which are eliminated.

While the structure as illustrated and herein described embodies a practical adaptation of the invention it is obvious that considerable modification is possible within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown.

What is claimed is:

1. In a loom, the combination with the lay and 'the picker stick which oscillates in correlation to the lay, of a guide mounted on the lay and depending therefrom, said guide being opposed laterally of the picker stick whereby to keep the stick in its oscillation free of contact with the binder on the lay, said guide in its mounting being adjustable toward and from the picker stick and in its adjustment having provision for setting it at various angles to vary the direction of travel of the picker stick.

2. In a loom, in combination with the lay, the binder mounted thereon, and the picker stick which operates in correlation to the lay and the binder, of a combined picker stick guide and check strap stand comp-rising a bracket attached to the lay and depending at the rear thereof,

and an elongated picker stick guiding and check strap supporting element mounted on the lower portion of said bracket in front thereof, said element extending longitudinally with relation to the lay and having provision in its mounting for its lateral adjustment toward and from the picker stick, the upper portion of the element being of a maximum length for guiding the picker stick in its back and forth travel, the lower portion of the element being reduced in length at its opposite ends, and a check strap for limiting the travel of the picker stick in either direction, said strap being secured at its opposite end respectively to the adjacent rear face portions at the ends of the reduced lower portion of the picker stick guiding and check strap supporting element.

3. The herein described picker stick guide and check strap stand unit, comprising an elongated bracket having provision for its mounting with longitudinal adjustment on the rear lower corner portion :of the lay of a loom, said bracket having parallel leg members depending at the rear thereof, the lower end portions of said leg members being provided with transverse slots, a combined picker stick guide and check strap stand disposed forwardly of the leg members of said bracket and provided with rearwardly extending stud members projected through the slotted portions of the leg members of the bracket and having provision for fastening them in adjusted relation both longitudinally and transversely to said leg members, said picker stick guiding and check strap supporting element having upper longitudinal extensions at the opposite ends thereof, and a check strap secured at its opposite ends to the outer face portions at the ends of said element below said longitudinal end extensions of the element.

4. In a loom, the combination with a lay and the picker stick which oscillates in co-relation to the lay, a bracket longitudinally adjustably secured to the lay, a guide mounted on the bracket and opposed laterally of the picker stick to prevent contact with the binder on the lay, and means for adjusting said guide on the bracket transverse the lay to vary the direction of travel of the picker stick.

5. Ina loom, the combination with a lay and the picker stick which oscillates in co-relation with the lay, a bracket longitudinally adjustably' secured to the lay, a guide mounted on the bracket and opposed laterally of the picker stick to prevent contact with the binder on the lay, and means for adjusting said guide on the bracket transverse the lay parallel thereto, or at an angle thereto, to vary the direction of travel 10 of the picker stick.

GEORGE CLARENCE BELL. 

